Open AccessThe National Ignition Facility: the path to a carbon-free energy future
Author(s) -
Christopher J. Stolz
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
philosophical transactions of the royal society a mathematical physical and engineering sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.074
H-Index - 169
eISSN - 1471-2962
pISSN - 1364-503X
DOI - 10.1098/rsta.2011.0260
Subject(s) - national ignition facility , thermonuclear fusion , national laboratory , ignition system , systems engineering , national security , energy (signal processing) , inertial confinement fusion , fusion power , nuclear engineering , computer science , environmental science , aerospace engineering , laser , engineering , engineering physics , physics , nuclear physics , political science , plasma , quantum mechanics , law , optics
The National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world's largest and most energetic laser system, is now operational at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The NIF will enable exploration of scientific problems in national strategic security, basic science and fusion energy. One of the early NIF goals centres on achieving laboratory-scale thermonuclear ignition and energy gain, demonstrating the feasibility of laser fusion as a viable source of clean, carbon-free energy. This talk will discuss the precision technology and engineering challenges of building the NIF and those we must overcome to make fusion energy a commercial reality.
Accelerating Research
Robert Robinson Avenue,
Oxford Science Park, Oxford
OX4 4GP, United Kingdom
Address
John Eccles HouseRobert Robinson Avenue,
Oxford Science Park, Oxford
OX4 4GP, United Kingdom